Michael McCormack vows to keep Nats leadership rival in the fold

New Deputy PM Michael McCormack has extended an olive branch to his main Nationals rival David Littleproud.

Julie Bishop and Malcolm Turnbull join Michael McCormack and deputy Nationals leader Bridget McKenzie after Mr McCormack was sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister yesterday. Picture: Kym Smith

Australia’s new Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack, has extended an olive branch to his main rival for the Nationals leadership, David Littleproud, in a bid to return stability to the Coalition and unify a divided partyroom.

The MP for the NSW seat of Riverina, who was sworn in yesterday as the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, said he would lead the Nationals as a “team ­player” and held out the prospect of Barnaby Joyce playing a ­broader campaigning role at the next election.

Mr McCormack also upheld the importance of unfair dismissal laws to “protect workers”, ­reflecting on his decision to take action against the Riverina Media Group over his departure from The Daily Advertiser in Wagga Wagga — a rural paper that he ­edited for a decade between 1992 and 2002 — ­declaring that he had been “wronged” by his former ­employers.

The comments came amid revelations Malcolm Turnbull had commissioned the head of the ­department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Martin Parkinson, to investigate whether Mr Joyce had breached ministerial standards.

Mr Turnbull asked for the ­investigation last Wednesday after speaking with Mr Joyce, but the probe lasted only four days. Dr Parkinson yesterday advised the Prime Minister in writing not to proceed, given the transition in the Nationals leadership.

A separate inquiry into ­whether Mr Joyce misused taxpayer funds in pursuit of his relationship with former staffer Vikki Campion through the travel ­entitlements system is being conducted by the independent Parliamentary ­Expenses Authority.

In an interview with The Australian yesterday, Mr McCormack said he would like the small business portfolio — which he held from September 2016 to late last year — to be returned to the ­Nationals, but suggested it was a discussion for after the next election.

In a bid to move beyond the political trauma triggered by Mr Joyce’s affair with Ms Campion, which contributed to the former leader’s resignation, Mr McCormack said he wanted to shift the narrative back to bread-and-butter issues for regional Australians.

“I really want to make sure that the stability returns,” he said. “We need to get the narrative back to jobs, to the people we serve and to make sure our people know we are in there fighting hard for the things that matter for them.”

Opening up about his decision to take legal action over his dismissal from The Daily Advertiser in the early 2000s, Mr McCormack said unfair dismissal laws were ­important to protect workers.

“I felt I was wronged and so I took action,” he said. “I was, I suppose, generally pleased and satisfied with the outcome.

“I’d had 21 years at the paper. I’d given great service. The paper’s circulation was going up. I was meeting all my key performance indicators and it was rather out of the blue ... I was called out to a meeting and told my position was being advertised nationally next week and you’re not to apply.”

The vacancy in cabinet caused by the resignation of Mr Joyce will be filled by Mr McCormack but some Queensland MPs are saying Resources Minister Matt Canavan could be a victim given his office took in Ms Campion last April.

While Mr McCormack said there was no reason to move Mr Littleproud out of cabinet, he did not give a similar assurance for other cabinet colleagues including Senator Canavan or Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion.

“David’s done an outstanding job in agriculture and I wouldn’t see why I would change those ­arrangements,” Mr McCormack said. “He has done some great things as far as the Murray-­Darling Basin is concerned.”

Those pushing for elevation within Nationals ranks include NSW MP David Gillespie who ­declared his intention to stand for the leadership but withdrew due to lack of support. Other Nationals identified Queensland MP Keith Pitt and Victorian MP ­Darren Chester, both of whom were dumped from the frontbench by Mr Joyce in the December reshuffle, as likely candidates for promotion.

Supporters of Mr McCormack said that no deals had been struck for frontbench positions in the lead-up to yesterday’s partyroom meeting.

Several Nationals MPs had at the weekend urged Mr Littleproud, who Mr Joyce elevated to cabinet in ­December, to run against Mr McCormack, but he announced just after 11pm on Sunday that he would not stand.

The push was seen as an ­attempt by supporters of Mr Joyce to stymie Mr McCormack’s bid to win the leadership. Some Nationals MPs took aim at Mr Littleproud’s brief stint in federal parliament and his two months of ministerial experience.

Speaking on Sky News yesterday, Mr Littleproud confirmed that “a group of MPs” came to see him and urged him to run for the leadership but he decided the timing wasn’t right and he was concerned it could affect the stability of the party. “I’ve been here 20 months; I’ve got a lot more to learn,” Mr Littleproud said.

Multiple Nationals sources said Mr Littleproud had needed only two or three more votes to clinch the leadership from Mr McCormack, but failed to win over a ­couple of key Queenslanders.

Mr McCormack rubbished calls to sever the coalition with the Liberal Party as advocated by his Queensland Nationals colleague George Christensen, who launched a failed challenge for the leadership in the partyroom against him. He said there was no support among Nationals supporters to cut ties with the Liberals.

“George is a good contributor to the National Party,” Mr McCormack said. “At times he is a little bit of a maverick and he has some ­strident views about particular ­issues.”

He rejected Labor’s campaign to have the top-secret Coalition agreement made public, arguing it was not a policy document, and pledged to discuss any major policy changes with his colleagues.

He also opened the door to Mr Joyce playing an active role at the next federal election, as Nationals MPs sent mixed messages about the prospect of the former leader making a comeback after the poll.

“Of course he can. He’s a ­National Party man through and through,” Mr McCormack said. “He’s been a good and faithful servant of our party for many years. I’m sure that will continue.

“He’s got a baby on the way. So he’s got some important responsibilities there. Barnaby, I’m sure, will be a contributor to the party going forward. He’s been very helpful so far to me.”

NSW senator and close colleague of Mr Joyce, John Williams, told Sky News he believed Mr McCormack would do a “good job” of mending strained relations with the Liberal Party, but stopped short of saying Mr Joyce couldn’t make a return to the leadership.